Leven and Cameron Bridge New Stations!

[@geofftech2]

When you spot Chewbacca 🐻 ... Comment here! 😂

[@eggcellent6924]

Found chewbacca!

[@MrKmunro]

Spotted him, geoff

[@Harddav11]

Found chewbacca

[@rossmcgarrie9787]

So pleased you’ve been to my home county Geoff & a massive welcome to The Kingdom Of Fife from me Pal. 👍

[@travelswithjess]

Found him!

[@the1gip]

"Passive provision" are my two favourite words in the English language. Music to my ears and a welcome departure from the daft way the Borders line was built. Wish the Leven link all the best ❤

[@rynabuns]

Long-term planning in the UK! Say it ain't so 😅

[@DavidKnowles0]

@@rynabuns Just don't tell the Treasury. They will put a stop this unnecessary expenditure that may never be use!

[@EdgyNumber1]

​@@rynabunsYeah! Even East-West Rail is getting the treatment. I wish the Chiltern Mainline was electrified though. It'd mean faster accelerated train journeys and more frequent ones as a result.

[@ancientsolar2]

Please someone, inform Wales of these words!

[@Nooticus]

hear hear!!

[@johnavery3941]

Our Scotland is doing well reversing the Beeching cuts what with Tweedbank and now Leven, amazing when people say that was wrong and now it is back.

[@caramelldansen2204]

Just think about all the money we would have saved by not closing them in the first place!

[@dw620]

Not enough SNP voters in the North East of Scotland to do any reopening there, though...?

[@MrStabby19812]

I believe there's plans to get back to St Andrews on what would of been the other end of this line. I doubt the whole thing can be reopened though

[@johnavery3941]

Mr Stabby it can be as the line off the mainline is a pathway, you can just change it back to a railway, you could also do the same to Tayport although that one not viable but St Andrews yes. If the home of golf was in England it would have a Railway Station.

[@MrStabby19812]

​@@johnavery3941 thx wasent sure how much had been built over or not

[@euanduthie2333]

Good to see that services to these new stations will be calling at Edinburgh Gateway for a quick transfer to the Airport. Perfect for those of you who want to see Leven on a jet plane.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Take your like and stay - under sufference!

[@Ronald-o9x]

Just more 2 stations built by concrete and no staff! Truly dystopian rubbish!!!

[@gordon1545]

@@Ronald-o9x Why should there be staff at a station that gets one train per hour? That's a colossal waste of money. Yes the stations are built to a budget but sadly that's how public finances are now - you can have that or you can have nothing.

[@ToilerOnTheSea]

OOOOFT!!!

[@railwaychristina3192]

LOL

[@meganhammond9911]

On my first Leven bound service - although I'm not going to Leven :c Had to watch this again as a wee celebration!!

[@bradw8102]

"The beach is phenonemal...for the 5 days a year we get sun." 😂😂😂

[@cicero2]

Which five are they, Brad?

[@rossmcgarrie9787]

Aye he’s not wrong that’s the thing. 😂🤣🤪😜

[@highpath4776]

@@cicero2 Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, last week, yesterday and the day before yesterday ?

[@neville132bbk]

... doing a roaring trade in 50+ factor sunscreen........

[@cicero2]

@@highpath4776 Lovely! I'll get them booked.

[@gailforce]

Leven, on a fast train, don't know when i'll be back again!

[@roderickmain9697]

Sorry Geoff. As someone born there the correct pronunciation is Kir-coddy (or Kirk-oddy). (Dont ask me why theres a silent L)

[@geofftech2]

Ha! Okay!! Thank you 😊

[@CallumBlyth]

Was just about to comment this

[@thebigchip]

Likewise. KUH] + [KAW] + [DEE. The place name was put there to catch you out

[@dcanmore]

"... and they'll be dancing in the streets of Raith tonight" :)

[@roderickmain9697]

@@dcanmore Raith Rovers Ground was only a few hundred yards from the maternity hospital in Forth Park. Now all fancy new houses.

[@tomheadington4762]

Love the forward planning with the electrification. At least the engineers have more foresight than politicians

[@HomemadeBrownies1]

The politicians chose to pay for it.

[@oisinmtom]

@@HomemadeBrownies1 But not for the actual electrification.

[@HomemadeBrownies1]

@@oisinmtom would have been daft to electrify it at this stage

[@class444swr3]

Yeah, unless it coincided with electrification of the Fife Circle

[@gordon1545]

It was *literally* a decision of the Transport Secretary in the Scottish Government.

[@jamieplaysagamie]

The old tracks were fully open to access from when they were closed and I managed to walk along to the old Cameron Bridge station a few weeks before they demolished it for laying the new tracks. Great to see the progress.

[@2themoon863]

Is the old track layout from the 60’s still available to be used (by “old track layout” I mean the stretch where the old Leven station was), or did those tracks get removed?

[@nzphily]

@@2themoon863 That all disappeared in the very early 70s. I vaguely remember some of the track still being there.

[@jamieplaysagamie]

​@@2themoon863 there are sections of embankment around the coast towards St Andrews but no track unfortunately. You can however still see small sections around Methil Dockyard that would've been in use more recently than the last passenger services.

[@ToilerOnTheSea]

Loving John with his best Sunday voice on 🙂

[@MontytheHorse]

There’s something of an irony that much of the original Cameron Bridge station survived until it was demolished to make way for the new line. 😂 On a serious note it’s great that the line is re-opening. It’s something that Levenmouth really needs. Since I live nearby, I am tempted to take a train to Leven on Sunday when services start.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Congratulations to the residents of Fife on regaining an important transport link. In the time it's taken to bring the case for the Leven reopening from notion to fruition, here in Sussex the much needed reopening of the Lewes Uckfield line and rehabilitation of the relief mainline and primary route to link five airports to better utilise existing capacity has achieved precisely .... (drum roll please) .... sod all. Looking forward to the Leven opening ceremony and the first appearance of Cameron Bridge and Leven on the live departures indicators

[@markieman64]

My aunt had a caravan in Leven, so we went there a lot on holiday. The train would have been useful. Beach is, as the lad says, brilliant!

[@ukroadsandtransport]

Who doesn't love a brand new station

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

Me too. I can’t wait to see Beaulieu Park opened as I live in Essex and the new station is set to open next year.

[@ukroadsandtransport]

@@Anonymoususer_8823 where I live new stations are proposed but nothing has progressed

[@Ronald-o9x]

A station is not a station without staff! Fed up with network rail building concrete rain shelters! Have they no imagination! Just wait to the first sinkhole appears as at caldercruix recently!!! Concrete rubbish!!!

[@Ronald-o9x]

If you live in an SNP area you might get a station, if you don't, no chance!! They will be out of power shortly anyway!!! Happy days 😅 !!

[@Ronald-o9x]

It's Thomas the tank stuff! Whilst it's good to see a station for local people,why can't network rail have a bit of imagination and build stations with a bit of character. Every station is the same, put together like Lego bricks!!

[@geordielad82uk]

We have just had the weekend in Leven & saw the new stations & told my wife here are a couple more f new stations for Geoff to visit, low and behold you upload video today, cannot write it, haha

[@RoddyRankin-fp1vo]

Good to see the railway return to Leven , it would be nice to see it extend further up the coast, although a bit more complicated engineering wise.

[@ChrisInTheNorth]

ah now that's going to make East Fife FC more accessible for those of us who like to visit small Scottish football teams

[@ThatScottishBusDriver]

I seen you at the bus station in Leven, I’m one of the drivers for stagecoach in the area

[@HenrysAdventures]

Looking forward to seeing this open. Maybe St Andrews should be the next town to be reconnected to the rain network.

[@rockerjim8045]

years ago I found a detailed map of the planned rail link to St Andrews. it’s all awaiting the government go ahead

[@conradharcourt8263]

Excellent news! One word of warning to anyone thinking of alighting from heritage stock on a tour to Leven. Particularly if it's dark, REMEMBER IT IS AN ISLAND PLATFORM. The canal looks aw'fy cold and wet!

[@StukovM1g]

Seeing passive provision for Overhead Line Electrification on the Levenmouth Rail Link project gladdens me. When I worked on the Detailed Design for East West Rail Connection Stage 1, the DfT had de-scoped electrification to save money. As part of that, while new structures were built with sufficient clearance, the existing bridges and structures were left as is. I fear that it means that we may never see the Oxford-Cambridge line electrified.

[@adrianpeters2413]

Interesting information.... English planning again ... too expensive!!!! 3 thousand million pounds a year to zizilenskiyy ...yeah far to expensive for the English society to pay for theire own infrastructure.......

[@gordon1545]

@@adrianpeters2413 Mate, you're comparing things that shouldn't be compared. If you want a return to the Cold War then crack on, but I lived through it and I know for sure that if Putin isn't pushed back, decades of darkness will fall on Eastern Europe.

[@adrianpeters2413]

@@gordon1545 I am more in fear now than when the cold war was a reality ... thank you ...carry on believing the current lie good luck ...also may I ask ..what has Russia and anyone got to gain by invading the west ... good luck there... remember £10.00 per hour for work and £ 300000 for a crappy petite house work hard ...ha ha ba ha ....

[@georgehudson6914]

I love a brand new station but across the UK all these new stations look identical. Where is the character or the uniqueness. That's what makes the rest of the stations in the UK so special.

[@RunawayTrain2502]

Leven gets a nice building

[@nathanw9770]

Probably to make them as cheap as possible to build. Could do with a special lick of paint though.

[@loco4loco]

quite a lot of the Victorian states looked similar but they look similar as is cheeper

[@georgehudson6914]

@@nathanw9770 I agree, it's in Scotland just a bit of blue and white paint would've done.

[@TalesOfWar]

Modular design goes a long way for costs. They're more utilitarian and functional if a little dull, but they do the job. Remember, the government hate spending money. Old stations were built the same way too, it just happened the cheaper but standardised designs back then often looked rather charming by todays standards. They were also a more grand affair back in the day as rail travel was still fairly new.

[@paulharvey9149]

How lovely to see you north of the border again, Geoff. If I'd known you were coming I'd have brought you some tea! Congratulations on the correct pronunciation of Leven by the way - shame about Kirkcaldy, which has a silent 'l'; remind me to brief you before you release your video if the line is ever re-extended to Kilconquhar!

[@raithrover1976]

Even Fifers can't agree on the correct pronunciation of Kilconquhar😂

[@Welcometofife]

Great video and was lovely to meet you at Waverly last week. We hope you enjoyed the Rock and have you caricature up on the wall 😊

[@geofftech2]

ha ha, HELLO! i love th caricature ... and have saved the Rock for a rainy day. Nice to meet you all too!

[@rgmusicom]

This was built on the old route round to the docks as well, so the choice of locating it there was a case of putting it where tracks used to be. You have no idea how amazing this is for us Fifers and train nerds. Also gutted I didn’t get to meet you when you were up!

[@awmn1]

I lived in Windygates and remember being three or four and taken to Edinburgh from Cameron Bridge. I hope to go and see the two new stations but Cameron Bridge is what really I want to see

[@rockerjim8045]

East Fife FCs ground Bayview is a stone’s throw from Leven Station. When the fixtures come out I’m planning a Visit.

[@Einveldi]

Yes, the stations look identical to all the ones opened recently in Scotland, but let's be fair, if there are enough new stations that we can call them generic, that's a huge plus in the first place.

[@fifer4056]

They are that generic that they have nothing in place. No toilets, no staff, no vending machines, no proper seats. They are horrible and the excuse was “they are with current public standards”. Closest public toilet to Cameron Bridge station is Sainsburys in Leven, directly at the side of Leven station, Not great for a park and ride

[@anylex5328]

Yes, whilst the new stations CBX and LEV are very welcome, they score a zero for architectural merit!😊

[@gordon1545]

@@fifer4056 It's just not sustainable to have staff at a station that gets one train an hour.

[@Garethness]

This is one of your best “new station opening” videos you’ve made

[@geofftech2]

thanks Gareth, very kind! was it the explainer maps, or the interview with the Network R guy that was good?

[@Garethness]

@@geofftech2 the interview, the deep dive on the design and the service pattern. The why the stations exist. Stuff like there is a bus stop but no bus service “yet”. Really good.

[@Sim0nTrains]

I'm looing forward to visiting Leven this weekend. Great video Geoff.

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

Nice to see you doing more new videos of brand new railway stations. I be looking forward to seeing Cameron Bridge and Leven on the Levenmouth Rail Link opened. It’s nice to see railway lines coming back in Scotland that was once closed because of the Beeching Axe. Perhaps the former Waverley line now known as the Borders line that goes from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank could extend to Carlisle and to allow trains to avoid Carstairs when coming to and from Carlisle and the West Coast Main Line.

[@allanmorton6022]

Great video Geoff very interesting. Also good to see your pronouncation of Leven is now excellent! Just need to improve your Kirkcaldy now, it is tricky though! Hope to spot you on the line soon.

[@acfbrown1]

Well done on getting this access Geoff. I met you briefly at East Linton Station on its opening day. I got the 09.19 train from Haymarket to Leven yesterday and sat with David. I also met Stuart, Jen, Rob etc. I think it's a disgrace that construction of White Rose Station has been paused and that three of the Northumberland Line stations won't now open until 2025.

[@MrGreatplum]

Great video, Geoff. So good to see new stations opening - and passive provision for electrification as well - fantastic!

[@Nooticus]

So glad that Network Rail continues to invite Geoff to show us these excellent projects. SO excited for the East West Project between Bicester and Bletchley, it's nearly done, I hope you will be there Geoff!

[@geofftech2]

I’ve been trying to get a preview of that too, but sadly not had any joy so far. Winslow station must be completed or near completed already? 😮

[@Nooticus]

@@geofftech2 it is indeed! i have seen a video on youtube from this guy 'autistic psycho' showing drone footage over the new station!

[@headforthehillsuk]

At about 2:30 when the chap from Network Rail mentions the reasons for siting of the new Cameron Bridge Station he says the Diageo Comah zone is one reason they moved it. It's a Diageo owned whisky distillery or ageing plant. It has so much flammable liquid on site that it falls under the Lowe tier of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations. Diageo would have to account for the effects that a major accident on their site could have on the neighbouring properties including the station if it had been sited closer to them It would just have been easier for Network Rail to build the station further from the Diageo site. Less consultation and cooperation needed between the two parties in this location.

[@manekdubash5022]

Diageo also refused to use the rail link for product shipping, adding thousands of HGV journeys to the local road network. Weird.

[@mboothy]

Also it's much easier in the new position to just build off the main road with space for a car park.

[@neville132bbk]

Excellent, crisp images on the video..every raindrop clearly outlined.. or "Scotch mist" as we call it in Dunedin--the Edinburgh of the South. A few hundred metres from my home on Highgate, is Leven St... except we say it as in the number 11. There is also a Kirkland Hill :-)

[@drevo50]

New stations? Fantastic! We're getting one soon at Cambridge South. Will make a point to visit these two next time I'm in Scotland.

[@brynhocking1980]

Love the new version of the help point let's bring it out over the whole railway network

[@christopherbutler7588]

Thanks for showing very interesting nice they have opened up the old line.👌😊

[@caramelldansen2204]

Love to see a returning railway! The second best thing, losing only to railways not being destroyed in the first place!!!

[@richcolour]

Thanks for a great video! Last week I saw the countdown at Waverley and thought I'd wait for an explanation from Geoff - and here it is!

[@Terry.W]

Well done Scotland ...wish we could reopen lines in England..

[@adamdroi]

Great you came to visit our new stations 🎉

[@TB76Returns]

Look forward to this part of the route to be adding to TSW4's Fife Cirle line

[@MrJimheeren]

Rivet did do a pretty decent update last week. But I’ll doubt they will add new stations. But hey you never know

[@TB76Returns]

@@MrJimheeren They did say they were going to add it after that section had been opened

[@MrJimheeren]

@@TB76Returns oh nice. Looking forward to it. I’ll buy the route once it hits a good sale. I never pay full price for DLC, way to expensive

[@TB76Returns]

@@MrJimheeren I'd recommend you also wait for Skyhook's ScotRail 158 too, that will make this a lot more lively

[@MrJimheeren]

@@TB76Returns yeah I’m kinda waiting for the 158 as well

[@MrJimheeren]

Yes, when this map has a sale on TSW4 I’ll buy it. Really digging the new graphics of these stations

[@kevinellis8869]

Loved the 180 degree 'shunt'.

[@robnorth480]

Good to see rail expansion in Fife. I'm in Dunfermline which runs direct, so will try out the Leven line soon.

[@martyn6792]

Good to see preparation made for electrification with mast foundations / bases installed

[@scotbotvideos]

That was good forward thinking, but they didn't leave any room under the bridges if they were to introduce double-decker trains in the future.

[@Oznej]

As a non-native speaker, understanding Joe was quite a challenge, especially with background noise. I'm really impressed with how well the automatic subtitles did, though!

[@TheDriller-Killer]

Having had friends that are Aberdonian, I can understand most Scottish accents

[@richardrobertson1271]

Grow up

[@llynllydaw]

​@@richardrobertson1271 Calm down

[@gordon1545]

@@richardrobertson1271 Come on, you're talking to someone that's not a native English speaker. How often do you think people like that hear anything like our accent?

[@benkirkbride1997]

I seen that buggy pass me at fife heritage railway while I was using the excavator, I did wave! 🤣 not sure if you were on board at that point

[@smjrn63]

Scotland is on my list to visit so it is good to see they are expanding rail as a week in Ireland was the extent of my driving on the other side of the road. But if I find a car with the steering wheel on the left like home I might consider it. Great video looking forward to the next.

[@LostsTVandRadio]

I'm always delighted when new stations are built. But most of the new stations in recent years are just so dull looking and utilitarian. Can't we add a splash of colour and warmth?

[@johnstilljohn3181]

Brilliant...! What a funky little 'car' too...

[@grendel_nz]

Awesome. Let us remember Jackie Leven and his wonderful songs. 🙏🎸🎤

[@aldo5428]

@grendel_nz Wayside Shrines And The Code Of The Travelling Man would be appropriate I think…

[@bradw8102]

When Wellington in Somerset opens if you come visit you'll have to let me know as I live in Taunton currently, one stop away.

[@adrianpeters2413]

Wellington ..no ..I give that the boot !!!!

[@flintmcculla4510]

Left from Cameron Bridge to join the Royal Navy in 1961. Never been back but it’s good to see the area has been cleaned up. Used to be a bit of a black hole.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

There is surely a case for re-opening the branch to St Andrews.

[@BernardCastle]

I'll be on the first train out of Edinburgh Waverley tomorrow morning! Looking forward to the experience.

[@guillaumemaurice3503]

Thank you for the video Geoff it was very interesting. ❤

[@anthonydefreitas6006]

Stirling quality video as usual Geoff.

[@ChrisInTheNorth]

Stirling is 50 miles away

[@robertlalor8090]

Who wouldn't want their very own RRV??? Nice. Thanks Geoff

[@derekporter7658]

Fantastic video Geoff!! Hope you manage to try it out on a running service very soon.

[@SaturnCanuck]

That was pretty cool. Interesting the RRV was left-hand-drive

[@K-o-R]

Putting in the OHLE bases for easy addition later. East-West Rail should take some notes. Single-lead junctions are no good. Find some space to fit in double-track all the way to the main line.

[@rayob9131]

Thanks for sharing this vid. Managed to visit the line in late June 2024. Looks like a thorough civil enginerring job has been job with, as you note, provision for electrification in due course. The stations here and at other reopened/new ScotRail stations such as Inverness Airport and Kintore, are functional but, as the stylish waiting shelter at Cameron Bridge demonstrates, not places to hang around especially during inclement weather. Good to see the trains well used and plenty of cars parked at Cameron Bridge.

[@acfbrown1]

Can't wait Geoff, I will be getting the 09.19 from Haymarket. I won;t be going to Cameron Bridge though, just Leven.

[@tincanboat]

Very interesting. My Scottish is a little rusty, but I got the gist of what he was saying.

[@ToilerOnTheSea]

Great work from the Scottish Government getting this open.

[@scottytremaineplays9461]

The first train to Leven on Sunday 2nd did stop at South Gyle.

[@Neutralino]

Thanks for fixing your pronunciation of Leven!

[@williamgeorgefraser]

Cameron Brig. Fife's favourite whisky.

[@raithrover1976]

Ah yes, the distillery tankers keep the speed on the Standing Stane Road down to a steady 40mph!

[@rikufryderyk]

See you all there on Sunday :) can’t wait!

[@zander434]

Thank you for adding subtitles

[@ClydebridgeStation]

I'll be visiting the line on June 8th, so I might be on a train to leven before you Geoff!

[@exitpath2]

I’m so annoyed I was moving the day of the opening. Leven station is gonna change everything!

[@timonmob9588]

Please come to Ashley Down station when it opens.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Have to put these on my list!

[@djtraxxehv1058]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@esmeephillips5888]

Two more tin shacks. No attempt at vernacular architecture. And at CB a bus stop with no buses for opening day- traditional British approach to integration of transport modes. Just as long as a 'heritage' kettle train once every blue moon will fit the platform😅. Och well, better than nothing. But what's really needed is full restoration of the loop to St Andrews and Dundee over the McGonagall Memorial Bridge. Does the slight realignment at Leven make that harder?

[@mboothy]

There's a few bus services that go past on the main road so they could be routed to stop at the station. Think the realignment at Leven is the least of your worries if you want the Fife Coastal Railway to return, as there's now buildings, farms, golf courses, schools, and roads on the route.

[@neeha9449]

I found that you're the first person to ever post an 'update' on the Google Maps for Leven station! 😂 Hoping to get there this weekend!

[@lisakaz35]

Love Joe's voice.

[@davidcronan4072]

Why don't the lifts have the same accent?

[@robinhayhurst5943]

Geoff, do you find that the new stations are totally soulless? You go on the Settle to Carlisle railway, and the beauty of each station is just stunning. I can't see people saying similar things in 100 years about these new stations!

[@stevieinselby]

A large part of the beauty of stations on the S&C comes from the surroundings, which it's hard to recreate when you're wedged in between the bus station and the leisure centre of a small Scottish town! Yes, I do find the endless metal railings and grey, grey, grey to be a bit soulless, but the stations are more functional than most older stations (especially in terms of accessibility), and are cheaper to build and maintain, which is important in terms of enabling us to build more of them. And who knows what people will find aesthetically pleasing in 50, 100 or 150 years?

[@ailinos]

Having so many new stations opened that they all look like one another is a great problem to have in fairness! ​@@geofftech2

[@paulketchupwitheverything767]

When you see old photos of the staff at those types of stations it's often a team of people employed to run the place. I presume the new ones are unstaffed and designed to be low maintenance and resistant to vandalism, which results in the stark and soulless feel. Perhaps some posters and flapping bin bags will give the new stations a bit more character once they are being used.

[@scottishtrainspotter7209]

OMG Chewbacca has made a visit to Edinburgh. Hope you enjoyed you visit in Edinburgh, Chewbacca.

[@steve.b.23]

You can't talk about Geoff like that! 😆

[@patrickchampion8179]

I made it here on the opening day - they really couldn't have had better weather for it and there was a real buzz about the place. Hopefully this works well both for Leven as a place and the wider area - some of the best coastline in Britain being along east out of Leven towards Anstruther and Crail...

[@norbitonflyer5625]

03:05. Why are the leading zeroes missing on the 09:14 train's timings (but only that train)?

[@Transport4Alex12]

Looks brilliant!

[@johnavery3941]

The next one should be the link to St Andrews, the line is still there

[@Robnoir]

No, it isn't .

[@johnavery3941]

The pathway from Leuchars to St Andrews is the original line you would just have to turn it back into a railway line

[@SB-km6fp]

I am assuming you are going to revisit the stations in future, now that they have reopened properly

[@railwaychristina3192]

Is the line to Milton Kunction via Anstruther going to re open as an extension? How about Forfar to Stanley Junction via Coupar A gus? This was open for goods until the 80s

[@cakemartyr5794]

Hi Geoff, according to the local news here in Bristol, the new Ashley Down station will be open in late August or early September. I live nearby and would be happy to meet up when you inevitably film your station inauguration video.

[@golfbyrail1241]

Excellent news for golf tourism in the area. Leven Links and Scoonie are now only a 15 minute walk rather than a 6 mile taxi or bus ride from Markinch. Lundin Links also 5 miles closer too.

[@stevecore777]

Commenting from Sydney, Australia... nice video and new stations Geoff. But for a place that gets so much rain, there's not a lot of overhead protection from the elements along the length of those platforms and access points.

[@paulcawley6330]

Hope to visit in July along with riding the new clockwork orange trains in Glasgow.

[@neilbain8736]

Opening time already? It seems not so long ago I was watching WIP videos, and then there was an 'x' no. of days to go video. But here it is, now, almost upon us. How time flies. If I still had a Landrover, I'd swap it for a wee hurl in that neat looking RRV! Somewhere I have a Barts 1/2" 1890's map of Fife. I used it on holiday to Crail a good few years ago. It has the railways then current and also the proposed but never completed East Fife Central Railway. This was a line to have connections near Leven, near Cupar and near St. Andrews. On its way to Cupar, it was to run by Ceres, a mere asteroid back then, but a bustling minor planet now where the Post Office staff politely tolerate interstellar jokes and swear it's Bonnybridge that's really full of space cadets since it's the UFO Capital of Scotland. Of the part and route of the railway that was actually built, it reached a terminus at Lochty. Lochty farm became the home of the Lochty Private Railway where 60009, Union of South Africa was taken after being acquired by John Cameron who had also acquired the farm and reinstated the short part of the railway line that ran through it. The LPR closed in 1992 but gave birth to what is now the Fife Heritage Railway. It's, um... out of this world.

[@archiebald4717]

What a very nice man.

[@ianbower7756]

Hopefully the platforms have been built to allow level (step free) access to the trains.

[@TalesOfWar]

That depends more on the trains than the platform sadly. It would be nice if we had a nation wide standard for platform heights, but that would cost a heeeeell of a lot of money and time to implement. We could probably throw in the European loading gauge at the same time too so we get wider and taller trains for better capacity lol.

[@stevieinselby]

@@TalesOfWar We *do* have a nationwide standard for platform heights, the problem is that not all platforms (especially older ones) are built to that standard! Most are within an acceptable tolerance, apart from the new stations at Heathrow and on CrossLizPurpletrain which have been deliberately built to the wrong height. But apart from Stadler Flirt and Metro units, no trains currently running on NR have been built to allow level boarding with the standard platform height.

[@TalesOfWar]

@@stevieinselby They should do a phased roll out so any new rolling stock, or new platforms (and refurbished ones) are a specific height, and the rolling stock has to match that height. It would eventually fix itself. Might take a while though. Closed systems like most of the Underground or tram networks can obviously have more leeway here for their specific needs. I'm more on about national rail level stuff.

[@ianbower7756]

@@TalesOfWar Nearly always the step is huge. Even at St Pancras’s new platforms and new trains the step is massive.

[@gavinreid8937]

Sounds like a complaint but how much did it cost this time to once again prove Beecham was wrong!

[@peter_smyth]

What's wrong with having actual seats in the waiting shelters?